“It’s fine cotton, and she raised it; she must be paid well for it.” Colonel Cresswell glanced at him with something between contempt and astonishment on his face.
‚ÄúYou go along with the ladies,‚Äù Harry added; ‚ÄúI‚Äôll see to this cotton.‚Äù Mary Taylor‚Äôs smile had rewarded him; now he must get rid of his company‚ÅÝ‚Äîbefore Zora returned.
It was dark when the cotton came; such a load as Cresswell‚Äôs store had never seen before. Zora watched it weighed, received the cotton checks, and entered the store. Only the clerk was there, and he was closing. He pointed her carelessly to the office in the back part. She went into the small dim room, and laying the cotton-check on the desk, stood waiting. Slowly the hopelessness and bitterness of it all came back in a great whelming flood. What was the use of trying for anything? She was lost forever. The world was against her, and again she saw the fingers of Elspeth‚ÅÝ‚Äîthe long black claw-like talons that clutched and dragged her down‚ÅÝ‚Äîdown. She did not struggle‚ÅÝ‚Äîshe dropped her hands listlessly, wearily, and stood but half conscious as the door opened and Mr. ¬ÝHarry Cresswell entered the dimly lighted room. She opened her eyes. She had expected his father. Somewhere way down in the depths of her nature the primal tiger awoke and snarled. She was suddenly alive from hair to finger tip. Harry Cresswell paused a second and swept her full length with his eye‚ÅÝ‚Äîher profile, the long supple line of bosom and hip, the little foot. Then he closed the door softly and walked slowly toward her. She stood like stone, without a quiver; only her eye followed the crooked line of the Cresswell blue blood on his marble forehead as she looked down from her greater height; her hand closed almost caressingly on a rusty poker lying on the stove nearby; and as she sensed the hot breath of him she felt herself purring in a half heard whisper.